Wheat Berries with Pecans

There are generally two kinds of wheat berries available at natural foods stores and Middle Eastern markets: hard (high-protein) and soft (low-protein). Though either will work fine, we prefer the chewiness of the hard variety for this particular recipe. If you can find only soft wheat berries, subtract 10 minutes from the cooking time.

Preparation

Cook wheat berries in a 4-quart pot of boiling water (unsalted), uncovered, until tender, about 1 hour, then drain in a large sieve.

After wheat berries have been cooking 45 minutes, cook onion in butter and oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wheat berries, kosher salt, pepper, and pecans.

Cooks' note:

· Wheat berries (without pecans) can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat in a baking dish, covered, in a 350°F oven 30 minutes, then stir in pecans.

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Reviews

Made this as a side dish for Easter dinner. I prepared the wheat berries last night, then into the fridge until ready to make the entire dish. Very easy! I thought this was super flavourful - the pecans are delicious and go so well with the slight chewiness of the wheat. Divided into two serving dishes; left one as is, and added a handful of dried cranberries to the other. Can't decide which I prefer! Guests all loved it! I can see this is destined to become a family favourite at holiday dinners!

This recipe is soooo good! A great side dish to impress guests. I did throw in dried cranberries in the end as a few of you folks have suggested. Gave it just the right amount of sweetness. I can't stop eating it (chewing now as I type)! I was disappointed when I noticed the directions on the bag of wheat berries suggested cooking them from 2 - 5 hours (I didn't have that kind of time today & had my heart set on trying this recipe!). A little over an hour was perfect....so ignore what the package says if it differs! Now I will be trying to come up with the perfect vegetarian dinner to accompany this delicious side dish. Enjoy!!! =)

I had some leftover (cooked) hard wheat berries in my freezer, and this was a tasty use for them. (I cooked my wheat berries in a rice cooker--they came out perfect--and then had them in the freezer for about a month.) The pecans and onions complement the wheat berries really well.